


What Carries Over

by breakdancingsigma (hetawholockvengerstuck)



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Flashbacks, Other, Past Lives, Puppyshipping (minor), Yami probably remembers more than he canonically should, revertshipping, wish there could've been more Bakura in this since he was the inspiration for this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-08
Updated: 2015-12-08
Packaged: 2018-05-05 15:18:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5380031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hetawholockvengerstuck/pseuds/breakdancingsigma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are some things that will always carry over from one life to the next. Sometimes it's a flashback. Sometimes it's a mannerism or a habit that has no explanation. Sometimes it's a strange reaction. </p><p>Ever since the Battle City Tournament, these carryovers have been manifesting more and more strongly. For one of them, it might be hard to deal with alone.</p><p>(Bonus second chapter for those of you who like Revertshipping/Puppyshipping)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A few things I want to say before we get started: first of all, Jono is a character from the video game Yugioh: Forbidden Memories. There's really not much about him canonically. Second, as stated in the summary, the next chapter is a sort of bonus. There is no overt shipping in the first chapter.

It was Yugi's birthday party, and they had just finished dinner. The group was getting in one last round of _Life_ before Téa had to leave for the night and the boys would get ready for the sleepover.

"Dammit!" Joey cried. "Why do I always land on the mid-life crisis square?"

Téa laughed and took Joey's career card away from him. "Sorry, Joey, looks like you've been fired! Pick a card."

Joey grumbled as he took a new career card, then lifted his head to see past Tristan. "Hey, Bakura, it's your turn!"

Bakura, who was lying on his back on the couch, replied by groaning.

"Can't get up...too full...ate too much..."

Tristan sighed. "Why do you always do this to yourself, Bakura?" He then proceeded to twirl the spinner and move Bakura's white car three spaces.

"I don't mean to eat so much," Bakura replied, "it just sort of _happens_. I'm very sorry."

Yugi smiled. "It's fine, Bakura. Why do you think Grandpa and I got so much food? We've known you long enough to take your appetite into account."

"No idea where you keep it all, though," Joey said. "For someone who eats like he's starving, you're pretty skinny!"

Bakura just groaned again and turned onto his left side.

It wasn't like Bakura wanted to eat until his stomach ached. He wasn't hurting for food; he'd always had enough to eat, and then some. Yet whenever there was food in front of him, he couldn't help but fill his plate over and over until he was full to bursting.

Thank goodness he had friends who understood.

* * *

_He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a full belly. Hunger gnawed at the edges of his stomach and made him nauseous. He'd had to stop halfway back to his house, dropping the water pails and retching on the side of the dirt road until a neighbor had found him and carried him and the water back home._

_He'd overexerted, but what else could he do? They could still get water, even if they couldn't get food. Even if he was only allowed a few sips a day, so that he would actually keep it down..._

_So who could blame him when, confronted with a market stall whose owner was across the street arguing, he grabbed as much food as he could and fled to a place outside the town? Who could blame him for devouring as much as he could before anyone could find him?_

_And who could blame him for doing this over and over, until he'd gained a reputation in town and had to get even better at stealing?_

_There was never enough food unless he stole. A boy had to eat whenever he could, and no one knew this better than Bakura._

* * *

Joey and Kaiba were fighting again. At this point, Yugi had stopped keeping track of who started it and was more concerned with ending it. He finished packing up his school supplies and hurried over to his friend, thankful that they were the last three in the classroom.

"Joey, please--"

But Joey ignored him. "Say that _one more time_ , you asshole--!"

"What, does it offend you?"

"You think just 'cuz you're a billionaire and a child prodigy that you have the right to boss me around like some sort of servant?"

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "Did you lose your train of thought, moron? I don't recall telling you to do anything."

There was something different about Joey's eyes, now that Yugi looked closer. They seemed brighter, yet cloudy at the same time. It was almost like Joey was looking _through_ Kaiba.

"You think you're so great, don't you? You think you're better than me?"

"I don't _think,_ I _know._ "

"Why, you--!"

Kaiba sighed loudly. "Yugi, would you mind controlling your dog?"

The slap that resounded through the room caught all three of them off-guard. Kaiba turned his head slowly to look at Joey, mirroring the shock on the blond's face. Then the shock melted into a deep, piercing fury.

"Did you just _slap me_?"

When Yugi looked at Joey again, he nearly gasped. His friend was _shaking_ , so violently that Yugi was afraid for his health. He had a look of pure terror on his face that seemed disproportionate to the situation, even if Kaiba was giving him a look that could burn through steel. It was almost as if Joey were--

In the next moment, Joey was kneeling on the ground, forehead pressed to the floor, babbling out apologies too fast for comprehension. Kaiba took a full two steps back, looking at Yugi for confirmation that he was _really seeing this_. Joey _never_ begged for _anything_ ; he was far too proud. If this was scaring Kaiba, too, then things were really bad.

Yugi swallowed thickly and knelt down. "Joey? Joey, are you okay?"

"I'm sorry I'm sorry don't hurt me I didn't mean it please please please don't punish me--"

Suddenly Yugi felt his soul being shoved aside as Yami took control. "Joey Wheeler, stop this groveling at once!"

The force with which Yami spoke the words seemed to snap Joey out of it. He stopped shaking so suddenly that Yugi actually worried it might have hurt him. Then, as if burned, Joey leaped to his feet and took off running.

Yugi took over again and ran off in pursuit of his friend, calling Joey's name to try to get him to slow down.

That night, when Yugi tried asking Yami about it, his alter ego refused to say a word.

* * *

_He had too much pride for a slave. Everyone said it, even his sister. People had been calling him reckless and stubborn even before he had bargained for his sister's freedom, before he'd traded himself to save her. Before he'd resorted to covering himself in dirt to disguise his hair and skin color._

_He was always getting in trouble with the overseers. His back was a tapestry of painful reminders, and yet he couldn't help himself. He talked back and slacked on his work. Then other times he did more than his share, trying to help out the slaves who couldn't keep up._

_He hadn't even realized what he was doing. When his palm connected with the overseer's cheek, it surprised him as much as the overseer. The slaves and overseers in the vicinity went deathly quiet._

_For a moment, neither he nor overseer moved. Then the shock wore off, and the overseer gripped his whip with a fury that he had never seen before. The way he looked at him, like he was nothing but a wild animal, both was both infuriating and terrifying._

_His back had been torn to bloody shreds, and still he'd been expected to work. If the pharaoh hadn't arrived for an impromptu inspection of the pyramid's construction, he would have been just another dead slave._

_His back was bandaged, water poured down his throat. As he was loaded onto a cart, he fought exhaustion and channeled all his pain into resentment. If hatred could wound, the overseer would have been dead a thousand times over._

_He might have been a slave, but Jono would be damned if he let anyone treat him like an animal ever again._

* * *

Something was wrong with Seto Kaiba.

The first they'd heard of it was several hours ago, when Yugi got a call from Mokuba. He'd sounded so scared that Yami had actually taken over and handed the phone to Yugi's grandpa before hailing a cab to the Kaiba residence.

Once there, Yami had directed Mokuba to show him where Seto was, and then to call the rest of their friends. He brushed away the voice in the back of his mind that insisted they should call an ambulance.

 _This is not something that can be fixed with medical science, Yugi_.

_"How can you know that? You haven't even seen what's wrong with him yet!"_

Yugi immediately shut up when they saw Seto. He was sitting on a couch, ramrod straight, hands clenched into fists on his knees. His blank, unseeing eyes stared straight ahead at something no one else could see. Every so often he twitched violently, then immediately jerked back into position. His breathing was irregular, there was sweat beading on his forehead, and there was a strange amalgam of rage, confusion, and fear radiating from him.

Yami sprang into action. With Mokuba's help he located the kitchen and began searching through the cupboards. When Joey, Tristan, and Téa arrived, they found Yami muttering, "Garlic, garlic..."

"I think there's some garlic in the pantry," Mokuba said, and Yami's head snapped up.

"Good, you're all here. Mokuba, is there any sandalwood incense in this house? A scented candle would do in a pinch."

"Uh...I don't think we have those. Seto isn't very fond of sandalwood."

Yami turned to Tristan. "I need you to go out and buy some sandalwood-scented candles."

"But--"

"This is important, Tristan!" Yami all but shouted.

Mokuba took hold of Tristan's arm and led him out of the kitchen. "I'll pay for the candles if you want, Tristan."

Yami then pointed at Téa. "I need you to locate some sort of paint. I doubt Kaiba keeps any jewelry in this house, but if you find anything that looks remotely like a scarab, bring it to me."

Téa nodded and ran off to obey, leaving Joey alone with Yami.

"As for you, Joey, I'm going to need you to take care of Kaiba while I prepare everything. He's not going to like it when I start the process, so you and Téa will need to restrain him."

"What? Why do we have to--"

"He'll need to see familiar faces."

"What exactly are you--"

"Joey, I need you to do as I say. Now!"

For a moment, Joey's eyes seemed to go blank. He nodded and turned on his heel, headed towards the room where Kaiba was sitting. Yami felt a twinge of regret as he remembered the last time he'd seen that look on his friend's face.

He shook his head to clear it and went back to work. He set a kettle to boil, choosing the simplest method he could think of--as long as they had sandalwood, the garlic wouldn't be necessary. When the water was ready, he poured it into a mug with plenty of honey. When Téa returned with paint and paper he began to draw intricate symbols that he said were for "protection," although protection from what, he would not say. By the time Tristan and Mokuba returned with the candles and some matches, Yami had the rest of the things set up in the living room.

"Thank you, Tristan, Mokuba. I'm going to have to ask you two to step out for a bit. Do not come in until one of us tells you to."

"But Yugi, I want to stay with my brother!" Mokuba protested.

"I need you two to stay outside. You _must_."

It was Tristan's turn to lead Mokuba out of the room. When they had gone and the door was closed, Yami directed Joey to sit on the couch beside Kaiba--who seemed entirely unaware of what was going on around him--and Téa to stand at the ready on the other side. Then Yami lit the candles, placed the symbols around them, and began chanting over the mug in his hands. He placed a hand on Kaiba's forehead and carefully poured the water down his throat.

The change came over him so fast that Joey actually yelped. One minute Kaiba was trembling on the couch, the next he was lashing out and yelling. A word from Yami had Joey and Téa grabbing Kaiba's arms and holding him back as best they could.

"What the hell is going on here!" Kaiba demanded, scowling at the mess of candles and paper around him. At least he seemed to be calming down.

"How do you feel, Seto?" Yami asked.

Kaiba's eyes snapped to Yami. They were back to their usual shade of blue. Still, there was a hostility about him that told Yami that everything was not quite okay yet.

"I feel like someone needs to explain why I'm sitting in the middle of some sort of demonic ritual!"

Yami sighed. "Téa, Joey, why don't you go wait with Tristan and Mokuba. We'll join you in a few minutes."

They hesitated, but did as he said nonetheless. When he was alone with Kaiba, Yami blew out the candles and came to sit beside his rival.

Kaiba wrinkled his nose. "This room reeks of sandalwood. It's going to take forever to get that smell out."

Yami just handed Kaiba the mug and instructed him to drink it. Kaiba looked at it like it was poison.

"It's just honey and water. Drink it."

"Did you do something to it?"

"Nothing harmful. Just an incantation."

"Why the hell would you--"

"What did you see?"

That shut him up. Kaiba searched Yami's face, doing his best to hide his surprise. "How do you know about that?"

Yami sighed. "Just a feeling I had. I'm sorry you had to wake up to all this," he gestured around them at the candles, "but I'm afraid that without a millennium item, the process is a bit convoluted."

"What process? What's happening to me?"

Yami elected to pretend he hadn't heard the note of fear in Kaiba's voice. "Just as I am the reincarnation of an ancient pharaoh, you are the reincarnation of an ancient priest. I am able to share Yugi's mind through the use of the Millennium Puzzle; it provides me with a space of my own, and prevents me from crowding Yugi out of his own mind. Bakura has his Ring, and Marik had his Rod. You, on the other hand, haven't got a millennium item."

Kaiba snarled. "So are you telling me that I've got a dead priest trying to take over my body?"

"No, it's more like...well, more like memories. You were probably experiencing a flashback to another life, and it took you out of your own head for a moment. I think."

"You _think?_ "

"There is a possibility that Set is, indeed, somewhere in your mind. But without a millennium item he has no power over your body. Memories would be about all he could do."

Kaiba looked into the mug that Yami had given him. "If that's the case..."

Yami placed a hand on Kaiba's shoulder. "What did you see, Seto?"

For a moment, Yami thought he might have gone too far. Then Kaiba whispered, "I saw a man. He was...it was awful, I don't know what he did but he had to be punished, and I was...I was _happy_ he was being punished. It _felt right_. But at the same time it was so _disgusting_..." Kaiba closed his eyes, frowning, and then in a louder voice said, "Do you remember what this priest was like?"

"Only a little. He was devoted to his work, and to his people. He had good intentions, but he could be a bit...overzealous at times. I can assure you that the man you saw in your vision was a criminal, not an innocent man."

"You're sure?"

"Set was not a cruel man. He was a protector, first and foremost, even if he would never have admitted it himself. You are very much like him."

Kaiba shrugged Yami's hand off, drained the mug in one gulp, and stood up from the couch. "Bullshit. I expect this crap to be cleaned up, Yugi. And I want these candles out of my house."

Yami chuckled and stood to follow Kaiba out of the room. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

* * *

_He used to love the smell of sandalwood. It was soothing, familiar, and he always felt like he could breathe easier around it._

She _had smelled of sandalwood._

 _He wasn't sure what brought about the change. Maybe it was because they burned the incense to cover the smells after torturing or executing a criminal. Maybe it was because he'd been around it too long, and in such strong amounts, that it had started to get to him. Maybe it was because he'd lost_ him _, and after so many nights spent in the priest's own rooms, with the incense burning, the smell served as a painful reminder._

She _had been the exception._ She _had almost redeemed the scent for him._

_But after she died, after he lost Kisara, Priest Set couldn't stand the slightest whiff of sandalwood._


	2. Revertshipping

They got another call from Mokuba three months later, and this time they came prepared. When they reached the Kaiba residence, however, Mokuba greeted them with four words: "It's different this time."

And different it was. Kaiba was curled in a ball on his bed, his sweat-soaked shirt discarded on the floor. He was clutching his head, mumbling to himself.

Tentatively, Mokuba said, "Big brother?"

Kaiba froze and turned his head. "Who..."

He trailed off, and his eyes widened in surprise. Yami, too, was struck speechless. Truthfully, there was no change in Kaiba's outward appearance, but he looked _different_. Maybe his eyes were a darker blue, or maybe his bearing was altered somehow. In any case, Yami knew that this was not Seto Kaiba.

"Pharaoh?"

Yami nodded. "Set."

"Cousin, where am I? I woke up and I--" He broke off mid-sentence with a cry and leapt from the bed. Before Yami could restrain him, Set--for it was most definitely Set--had pushed past him and swept Joey into his arms. The blond was so taken aback that he could do nothing but open and close his mouth like a fish out of water.

"Jono, Jono, my gods, it's you, I thought I'd never see you again..."

Set turned his head, and Joey's face turned beet red when he felt the priest use _Seto Kaiba's body_ to press a kiss to his neck.

That seemed to bring Joey back to his senses. He slammed his fist into Set's stomach and darted out behind Tristan the moment Set released him. Mokuba took a half-step towards his brother before Téa put a hand out to stop him.

After he'd recovered his breath, Set raised his head to look at Joey with a hurt expression. "Jono...?"

"That isn't Jono, cousin," Yami said.

Set did not take his eyes off Joey. "But...he looks just like him. He fits in my arms the same way Jono did. How can he not be Jono?"

"Jono never held a millennium item. Joey may be a reincarnation of Jono, but he is _not him_. There is no part of the Jono you knew."

Set looked at Joey with such heartbreak that Joey almost felt bad. For what, he didn't know, and it frustrated him.

"That...that can't be right. How can he be a reincarnation of Jono, and yet not be Jono?" Then his eyes lit up. "There must be a way. There must be..."

Again he trailed off, this time because his eyes had landed on the object that Mokuba had just pulled out of his vest pocket. "Blue Eyes White Dragon..."

"It's your favorite card, Seto," Mokuba said. Yami sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. He knew Mokuba meant well, but that dragon was the last thing Set needed to see.

"Pharaoh..." Set said, his voice barely above a whisper, "my _ka_...do you think...?"

"It's just a picture, cousin."

Set looked back at Joey. "You...do you have one of these?"

Joey peeked around Tristan. "What, a card? Yeah, I got tons of 'em."

"Do you...have them with you? May I see them?"

Yami was shaking his head, but for some reason Joey found himself reaching into his pocket and handing his deck to Set. The priest drew himself to his full height and began to flip through the cards, examining the pictures on each one. About halfway through, he gasped and held up a card.

"It _is!_ Your _ka_ , Jono's _ka..._ the Red Eyes Black Dragon..."

"Set," Yami said, "it's only a picture. It's not a _ka_."

Set rounded on Yami. "The signs are all here! Why would the gods create a man in Jono's image, with a picture of Jono's _ka_ in his possession, if he is not Jono? Why would he be here, with us, with _me_ , if he is not Jono?"

"You are not supposed to be here, Set!" Yami bellowed. "That body does not belong to you!"

For the first time, Set seemed to actually _hear_ Yami's words. He looked down at his hands, then at Mokuba, then at Joey.

"I--I'm sorry. It's just been so long since I've seen him..."

And then something happened that Yami could not have foreseen. Joey came out from behind Tristan, and he looked the same as he always did, except...

"Joey?"

Joey looked at him, eyes wide. "Yugi, I..." Then he blinked.

"...Jono?"

Joey smiled. No, not Joey.

"Long time no see, eh?"

Yami wasn't sure Set was breathing. "Jono, how long have you been...?"

"No idea. I'm not... _exactly_ me right now. I mean, I am, but I think it's all memory." He blinked again, and Joey said, "What...Yugi, what's happening?"

"I don't know, Joey. Maybe you should leave."

"No, I..." He blinked again, and was Jono. "I think...I...he's okay with this. Or I'm okay with this? I don't know." He turned to look at Set, who hadn't moved a muscle since Jono had first spoken. "You really are an idiot, you know that?"

Set frowned. "What makes you say that?"

"Would it _kill_ you to consider how other people feel? You scared the livin' daylights outta me...him...whatever! The world doesn't revolve around you, Set!"

Set's eyes narrowed. "Watch how you address me, _dog_."

"You take that back!" Jono said, lunging for Set and grabbing him by the shoulders. Set looked unnecessarily pleased with himself.

"Maybe I will, if you beg me to."

"I'm not beggin' for anything, you conceited piece of shit!"

"Oh, really? Because I seem to recall you begging rather enthusiastically when we--"

" _Shut up!"_

Set smirked. "Make me."

When Jono pulled Set down into a passionate kiss, Téa covered Mokuba's eyes even as she found she couldn't look away. Had she been able to, she would've seen a similar expression on Tristan's face. Yugi, viewing through Yami's eyes, was basically reacting the exact same way.

_"Should we stop them?"_

_No,_ Yami thought, _let them have their moment. Jono was always rather good at dealing with Set when he was...difficult._

_"Yeah, but that's Joey's body he's using. To kiss...Kaiba's body. It's just sort of weird to watch."_

_Then don't watch._

_"I wouldn't have to if you'd let me have control again!"_

_Fine, but if I think things are getting out of hand I'm taking over._

_"Fair enough."_

Finally, Jono pulled away. Set followed his lips as if to continue the kiss, only to be stopped by Jono semi-playfully smacking him on the head.

"Okay, idiot," Jono said, "now let's get somethin' straight. These aren't our bodies anymore, okay? So we've gotta let the owners of these bodies have control of them. It's up to _them_ if we get to come out at all. You've gotta promise me that you're not gonna pull another one of these stunts."

"But--"

"No, you are not makin' excuses! If you don't let your host have his body back, I won't talk to you even if _my_ host lets me have control!"

Set growled. "I hate you sometimes."

"And I hate you too, moron."

Set leaned forward to rest his forehead against Jono's. "Fine, I promise."

Jono smiled. "Thanks. Ready?"

"If I have to be."

There was no indication of when they switched. One moment, Set was holding Jono tightly, a small, bittersweet smile on his face...and the next, Joey and Kaiba were jumping away from each other in horror.

"What the _fuck?_ " Joey yelled.

"What sort of sick, deranged fantasy--" Kaiba started.

"Hey, it was _your_ ancestor who started to whole thing!" Joey shot back.

"Well, _your_ ancestor was the one who kissed _my_ ancestor!"

Téa made a face. "That sounds _so weird_."

"Um..." Tristan said, "doesn't this make their normal interactions seem sorta..."

"Different?" Téa finished.

"Yeah."

"...and put a damn shirt on, you moron!" Joey was yelling.

"Says the dog who's missing his collar."

"Why, you--!"

Yugi chuckled nervously. "Perhaps we should leave those two alone for a bit."

"You can say that again," Tristan said.

When the four of them left the room, Joey had Kaiba by the shoulders in a way that was all too familiar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, I once told myself I would never ship Joey and Kaiba in any way, shape, or form. 
> 
> Oh, how wrong I was.


End file.
